1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of grain bins, and more specifically, to a grain bin vacuum tube extension system for evacuating grain from a grain bin.
2. Description of the Related Art
A variety of methods and structures are commonly used to store and move grain or other bulk materials. One well-known method is the use of an circular structure composed of corrugated metal; this circular structure is known in the industry as a “grain bin.” These bins vary in size depending on the use, crops grown, and location. It is generally accepted knowledge in the farming industry that a grain bin should be emptied from the center so as not to cause itself to buckle or collapse due to uneven pressure on the outside wall from the material within the bin.
Removing grain from these structures is typically a time-consuming task. One method for emptying these bins is to use an auger placed directly in the bin entrance door. Another method uses auger tubes buried beneath the surface of the bin floor transfer grain to another device. Yet another method involves the use of grain vacuums with tubes that are inserted through a bin door or boot structure. These vacuums operate by creating negative pressure in a chamber outside of the bin. Once the grain has been vacuumed out of the bin and into the chamber, it is then elevated from (out of) the chamber by various means.
There are certain deficiencies to using these methods to remove grain from the bin structures. Augers are heavy, ungainly devices and are hard to move, particularly over terrain. Augers have many pinch points and can be dangerous. If inserted through a door, an auger will remove grain from an area not in the bin center, causing uneven pressure on the outside bin wall.
Grain vacuums have gained in popularity due to the ease with which they are set up and moved. These vacuums also move bulk materials with great speed. They do, however, depend upon the removal of grain directly at the point of the bin door, which will cause uneven pressure on the outside bin wall. The resultant pressure limits the size of bins that can be unloaded in this manner. Once grain is removed from the area immediately around the bin entrance door, access to the inside of the bin is gained. The grain vacuum pipe extensions are then run through the bin door and added as needed. Access by persons to the inside of the bin is them hampered as one is continually stepping over and around such pipes.
The following patents address systems and methods for evacuating grain from a grain bin. U.S. Pat. No. 3,991,913 (Steffen, 1976) provides a port with a sliding gate for allowing grain to flow out of a bin by gravity for the express purpose of sampling the grain.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,123,114 (Rataj el al., 1978) involves the use of pneumatic pressure as a means for conveying bulk particulate material to another conveying means. The invention comprises floating and conveying channels situated beneath the material-supporting upper surface of the floor.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,669,941 (West et al., 1987) describes a floor sweep grain auger system in which a stationary auger is secured to the bin floor and a moveable auger pivots around the stationary auger to mechanically move grain. The movable auger has a pivot axis that allows it to move from a position parallel and adjacent to one side of the stationary auger and to swing through a 360-degree arc to a terminal position parallel and adjacent to the opposite side of the auger.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,588,405 (Johnson et al., 2009) discusses the mechanical movement of grain by means of a conveyor belt. The belt is designed to transport the grain with a minimization of friction, trauma or interaction between the grain to maintain quality of the grain.
U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2007/0264926 (Sonntag) provides a device and method for transferring grain from a grain bin with a grain transfer tube and a blower positioned at the grain bin inlet. A suction hose coupled to the grain bin outlet creates a vacuum force for drawing the grain the grain bin into the tube and then propelling it along the tube to a remote location outside of the bin.
U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2013/0223960 (Schoenfeld et al.) discloses a system and method for discharging grain from a bin in which the grain is gravity fed into awaiting grain tucks or rail cars without the use of a grain auger and without relying on outside energy sources. The invention includes an optional grain agitator for installation within the grain bin.
No other invention teaches the use of a vacuum tube extension fitted with an airtight seal, as in the present invention. Furthermore, none of the prior art references includes a means for transferring negative pressure from one point to another within the vacuum tube extension or for evacuating material from underneath the vacuum tube extension. Lastly, no prior art device allows the vacuum tube extension to be removed from the outlet port and replaced with standard grain vacuum attachments via an over-center band clamp.